Quell the Smell with Deodorant Clothing

Are you smelling when you should be selling? Just in time for the dog days of summer, Aoki of Japan has introduced a new line of deodorant suits, shirts, socks and even underwear that prevents body odor from doing what B.O. tends to do - smell up the place.

Japanese salarymen - suit-wearing office workers and government employees - have long suffered through the country's hot and humid summers. A much ballyhooed Cool Biz campaign hasn't really worked out that well since even the Prime Minister looks sort of geeky and lost without the traditional suit & tie. Now Aoki, in cooperation with researchers at Shinshu University, has utilized several different technologies in creating their new deodorant and anti-bacterial clothing.

Here comes the science... silver ions infused into the clothing fibers have a proven toxic effect against bacteria, viruses and fungi. The properties of these ions are similar to those of other heavy metals like lead and mercury, only without being poisonous. Then there's the fibers themselves, which neutralize body order by either absorbing the unsavory aromas or the actual emission of deodorant - we're not sure exactly which, maybe both, so we'll just have to take Aoki's word for it.

There's also no telling if the deodorant and antibiotic properties of the clothing will stand up to repeated washing and/or dry cleaning.

The cost of smelling like a day-old daisy? Farago Aircool suits from $370, polo shirts for $37, t-shirts for $13 and socks for $7.80 per pair. (via Japan Today and Crunchgear)